On and Off the Ice, Birthday Boy Patrick Sharp Integral to Hawks' Success

Sharp has been a key component to the Blackhawks' two title runs

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Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp on Friday night will celebrate his 32nd birthday by taking on the Colorado Avalanche at the United Center.

Ever since he was acquired by the Blackhawks in a 2005 trade with the Philadelphia Flyers (who got Matt Ellison and a third round pick in the deal), Sharp has made it a habit of rising to the occasion in a big way. Whether it was his overtime winner against the Detroit Red Wings in the 2009 Western Conference Finals:

Or his game winning goal against the New York Islanders following the birth of his daughter Madelynn Grace:

Sharp certainly has a flair for the dramatic. He also can do all of the little things right, as he did on this goal in Game 2 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins:

On that play, Sharp not only fired a perfect stretch pass to Patrick Kane to set up the whole play, but he also managed to lift Tyler Seguin’s stick in the slot, and he grabbed the puck and fired it home for the tally.

Sharp also has a keen eye for receiving those kinds of stretch passes, as he did when he scored a breakaway goal against the Carolina Hurricanes in October 2013 (a goal that followed the birth of his second daughter Sadie):

Just in case you thought that Sharp was only capable of excelling on the ice, there’s also his penchant for off-ice mischief, as he displayed with former teammate Adam Burish in a prank war against some familiar faces on the Hawks:

It’s that ability to be a goofball at times that has endeared him to Hawks fans just as much as his on-ice exploits, and his veteran presence has been a key component to the team’s two Stanley Cup championships in four seasons.

On this day of celebration for Sharp, what is your favorite memory of #10’s time in a Blackhawks sweater?